Advances in Traditional Medicine

Kyung Hee Oriental Medicine Research Center (경희대학교 융합한의과학연구소)
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Comparison of heavy metal concentrations in hairs of a small sample of Korean patients taking traditional herbal medicine

  • Park, Yeong-Chul (GLP Center, Catholic University of Daegu) ;
  • Kim, Myung-Dong (Dept. of Physiology, School of Oriental Medicine, Sangji University) ;
  • Park, Sung-Kyun (Dept. of Environmental Health Sciences, School of public Health, University of Michigan) ;
  • Kim, Hyun-Do (Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine program, National University of Health Sciences) ;
  • Lee, Sun-Dong (Dept. of Preventive medicine, School of Oriental Medicine, Sangji University)
  • Received : 2010.03.16
  • Accepted : 2010.09.07
  • Published : 2010.09.30
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Abstract

A concern of safety issue for traditional herbal medicine is the possibility of some herbs containing heavy metals responsible for several cases of metal poisoning. In our previous study, the physiological levels of heavy metals, such as Cd, Cu, Hg and Pb, were examined to evaluate a potential risk in patients taking herbal medicine. In this study, the levels of 12 heavy metals, including non-metallic element, Se, were analyzed in hair and compared to the results from the previous study. In the previous study, the levels of Cd, Cu, Hg and Pb in hair showed a significantly lower odds ratio than 1. In this study, however, all metals did not show any significant odds ratio higher or lower than 1 even if 5 of 12 metals showed lower odds ratio than 1. In addition, the levels of metal concentrations, especially for Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn, exceeding the WHO reference values were observed in hair. However, any evidence for metal accumulation in hair caused by taking herbal medicines for long duration was not observed in analysis of multiple regression and odds ratio from case-control study. This result would show another possibility for a role of herbs as a non-enzymatic chelator inhibiting the gastrointestinal absorption of heavy metals.

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